Chapter 34-Wishes
A/N Thank you Fantasy Angel for my 130th review. And sorry I took so long to get this up.
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.
Hermione flinched back. 'How long has he been dead?' She thought frantically. She raised her hand hesitantly over his forehead and then took it away. She pulled out her wand and muttered a spell under her breath and a clock appeared over Dumbledore's head. It read thirteen hours and twenty-seven minutes. Hermione burst into tears.
Draco's POV
Draco stared at the clock over Dumbledore's head. Hermione burst into tears and shouted between sobs, "No, no, this isn't happening, noooo-hooo- ho-ho, no-ho-ho-hoooo," She turned to him and he saw despair in those deep eyes.
"What's wrong? Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked frantically, wondering what had caused her to behave like this. She dove at him and buried her face in his chest, still shaking her head and shouting elongated no's between her tears. "Can't you just sing and bring him back, Hermione what's wrong?"
She raised her head and looked into his eyes. The despair was more pronounced than ever. She shook her head and her body rocked violently with a suppressed sob. He saw her gulp as her eyes streamed with tears and she opened her mouth to speak, and a sob emanated of its own accord from her throat, and she dove at him and pushed herself deeper into his chest.
After a few minutes she came back up. "I can't, he's been *sob* dead for over twelve hours *sob* so I can't *sob* bring him back," She buried herself in his chest once again. He was struck by this new piece of information. She stopped sobbing and sat up, wiping tears from her closed eyes and inhaling deeply. "There is only one way to bring him back, to go," She paused for a minute, swallowing a sob that shook her whole body. She took a shuddering breath and continued, "To go, into death and...and bring him back, but...but, it is dangerous and I may not come back, and then both of us would be dead, and all of the peace on this planet will be ruined." All of the boys stared at her in shock. Harry had tears scuttling down his face in torrents, but never made a sound. Ron had tears in his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling to keep them at bay. Draco just sat there, cuddling and comforting Hermione; his own eyes dry, although he felt the same sorrow as the others. This was very bad news indeed. If Hermione did go into death, who knew how long she would be gone, or if she would even come back to the realm of the living.
Hermione's POV
Dumbledore was needed on Earth. Hermione knew that, and her decision was made. She took a deep breath, preparing to make her announcement. "I'm going to go into death, Professor Dumbledore is needed here, on this planet. If I don't come back, well, then I'm dead," She said and finally opened her eyes. She instantly regretted it at the looks on her friend's faces and shut them. All the pain was just too much to bear.
"You can't, 'Mione, I don't want you to, what if you never come back? 'Mione, I don't think I could live without you. Please don't go," Draco whined, although she could tell from his voice that he knew she wouldn't be persuaded to not go into death.
Harry and Ron voiced their agreements. Hermione gripped her wand tightly. She silently called upon the help from the stars on a safe return for her and Dumbledore and then she pushed herself over the edge of life and into death. She looked around. She was in Limbo. Limbo was completely white. She looked straight ahead and saw the gates to death. She saw a guard just outside the gates, a big guy, but he didn't look too scary. To his left was a lever that she supposed opened the gates to death. Officially interested she turned around and saw the gates to life. Life also had a guard, the identical to the guard of death. Death looked like utopia, a paradise. Everyone was smiling and obviously happy, there was no poverty and the word starve apparently had no meaning. Life looked terrible. Some people were obviously starving, and others were so rich it was disgusting. She gulped. Death looked so much more inviting than life. She walked toward death slowly. The guard smiled good-naturedly at her and opened the gates. She walked through and started her search for Dumbledore. Finally she found him. He was in a library and reading. Typical. "Professor Dumbledore, sir, you are dead," She informed him, although he probably already knew.
"Yes, I know. Death is wonderful, but what are you doing here?" Dumbledore was smiling, but his eyes held mild confusion.
"I came here to bring you back into life, we need you to help you fight Lord Voldemort. We have no clue when he is going to attack, but we can all be sure that it will be all the sooner since you are gone."
"Miss Granger I have just been accepted into death. I was old; I died of old age. I am sorry, but I can see that you are La Principessa Delle Stelle by the markings on your head. You need to take my place as Headmaster; Lord Voldemort will fear you because you are what you are. Here. Present this to the teachers and staff that are now under your care. I know that you are young. I didn't expect to die so soon. But I trust that you will be a good Headmistress of Hogwarts," He handed her a piece of paper that he had signed while speaking. A single tear traced a wrinkle down his cheek. " I am truly sorry that I must press this on you, but as the peacekeeper of Earth only under your care will the students of Hogwarts be safe."
Hermione's head whirled. This couldn't be happening. She made one last plea, "Please, sir, I beg of you that you come back to Hogwarts and continue living. Please, I beseech you. I am not ready for this," Her eyes and speech implored, but Dumbledore shook his head.
"I died a natural death and that is how I would like to die. I am sorry Miss Granger, but I wish to stay in death. You should go now, before you are trapped forever in here," Hermione let the tears slide down her cheeks as she bid him farewell and turned on her heel and walked away, out of the gates of death and back into the realm of the living. The boys looked down at her, worried, as she entered her body. Draco heaved a sigh of relief.
"Where's Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
"He wanted to stay in death. I don't blame him much, everything is good there and everyone is happy," She frowned at the task Dumbldore had placed on her shoulders and looked back up at the worried faces above her.
"But then...who is Headmaster?" Ron asked.
"I am," Hermione burst into fresh tears. Why did everything have to be about her? She didn't want all the responsibility.
A/N I know this is a weird chapter, not to mention story, but everything is happening for a reason, okay?
A/N Thank you Fantasy Angel for my 130th review. And sorry I took so long to get this up.
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.
Hermione flinched back. 'How long has he been dead?' She thought frantically. She raised her hand hesitantly over his forehead and then took it away. She pulled out her wand and muttered a spell under her breath and a clock appeared over Dumbledore's head. It read thirteen hours and twenty-seven minutes. Hermione burst into tears.
Draco's POV
Draco stared at the clock over Dumbledore's head. Hermione burst into tears and shouted between sobs, "No, no, this isn't happening, noooo-hooo- ho-ho, no-ho-ho-hoooo," She turned to him and he saw despair in those deep eyes.
"What's wrong? Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked frantically, wondering what had caused her to behave like this. She dove at him and buried her face in his chest, still shaking her head and shouting elongated no's between her tears. "Can't you just sing and bring him back, Hermione what's wrong?"
She raised her head and looked into his eyes. The despair was more pronounced than ever. She shook her head and her body rocked violently with a suppressed sob. He saw her gulp as her eyes streamed with tears and she opened her mouth to speak, and a sob emanated of its own accord from her throat, and she dove at him and pushed herself deeper into his chest.
After a few minutes she came back up. "I can't, he's been *sob* dead for over twelve hours *sob* so I can't *sob* bring him back," She buried herself in his chest once again. He was struck by this new piece of information. She stopped sobbing and sat up, wiping tears from her closed eyes and inhaling deeply. "There is only one way to bring him back, to go," She paused for a minute, swallowing a sob that shook her whole body. She took a shuddering breath and continued, "To go, into death and...and bring him back, but...but, it is dangerous and I may not come back, and then both of us would be dead, and all of the peace on this planet will be ruined." All of the boys stared at her in shock. Harry had tears scuttling down his face in torrents, but never made a sound. Ron had tears in his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling to keep them at bay. Draco just sat there, cuddling and comforting Hermione; his own eyes dry, although he felt the same sorrow as the others. This was very bad news indeed. If Hermione did go into death, who knew how long she would be gone, or if she would even come back to the realm of the living.
Hermione's POV
Dumbledore was needed on Earth. Hermione knew that, and her decision was made. She took a deep breath, preparing to make her announcement. "I'm going to go into death, Professor Dumbledore is needed here, on this planet. If I don't come back, well, then I'm dead," She said and finally opened her eyes. She instantly regretted it at the looks on her friend's faces and shut them. All the pain was just too much to bear.
"You can't, 'Mione, I don't want you to, what if you never come back? 'Mione, I don't think I could live without you. Please don't go," Draco whined, although she could tell from his voice that he knew she wouldn't be persuaded to not go into death.
Harry and Ron voiced their agreements. Hermione gripped her wand tightly. She silently called upon the help from the stars on a safe return for her and Dumbledore and then she pushed herself over the edge of life and into death. She looked around. She was in Limbo. Limbo was completely white. She looked straight ahead and saw the gates to death. She saw a guard just outside the gates, a big guy, but he didn't look too scary. To his left was a lever that she supposed opened the gates to death. Officially interested she turned around and saw the gates to life. Life also had a guard, the identical to the guard of death. Death looked like utopia, a paradise. Everyone was smiling and obviously happy, there was no poverty and the word starve apparently had no meaning. Life looked terrible. Some people were obviously starving, and others were so rich it was disgusting. She gulped. Death looked so much more inviting than life. She walked toward death slowly. The guard smiled good-naturedly at her and opened the gates. She walked through and started her search for Dumbledore. Finally she found him. He was in a library and reading. Typical. "Professor Dumbledore, sir, you are dead," She informed him, although he probably already knew.
"Yes, I know. Death is wonderful, but what are you doing here?" Dumbledore was smiling, but his eyes held mild confusion.
"I came here to bring you back into life, we need you to help you fight Lord Voldemort. We have no clue when he is going to attack, but we can all be sure that it will be all the sooner since you are gone."
"Miss Granger I have just been accepted into death. I was old; I died of old age. I am sorry, but I can see that you are La Principessa Delle Stelle by the markings on your head. You need to take my place as Headmaster; Lord Voldemort will fear you because you are what you are. Here. Present this to the teachers and staff that are now under your care. I know that you are young. I didn't expect to die so soon. But I trust that you will be a good Headmistress of Hogwarts," He handed her a piece of paper that he had signed while speaking. A single tear traced a wrinkle down his cheek. " I am truly sorry that I must press this on you, but as the peacekeeper of Earth only under your care will the students of Hogwarts be safe."
Hermione's head whirled. This couldn't be happening. She made one last plea, "Please, sir, I beg of you that you come back to Hogwarts and continue living. Please, I beseech you. I am not ready for this," Her eyes and speech implored, but Dumbledore shook his head.
"I died a natural death and that is how I would like to die. I am sorry Miss Granger, but I wish to stay in death. You should go now, before you are trapped forever in here," Hermione let the tears slide down her cheeks as she bid him farewell and turned on her heel and walked away, out of the gates of death and back into the realm of the living. The boys looked down at her, worried, as she entered her body. Draco heaved a sigh of relief.
"Where's Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
"He wanted to stay in death. I don't blame him much, everything is good there and everyone is happy," She frowned at the task Dumbldore had placed on her shoulders and looked back up at the worried faces above her.
"But then...who is Headmaster?" Ron asked.
"I am," Hermione burst into fresh tears. Why did everything have to be about her? She didn't want all the responsibility.
A/N I know this is a weird chapter, not to mention story, but everything is happening for a reason, okay?
